Outdoor advertising signboard



Oct. 10, E R N OUTDOOR ADVERTISING SIGNBOARD Filed July 11, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet. l

JoH/v E. NORMA N Oct. 10, 1933. J. E NORMAN 1,930,018

OUTDOOR ADVERTISING SIGNBOARD Filed July 11, 1952 I 2 Sheets-Sheet, 2

rjaHN E NORMA/Q Patented Oct. 10, 1933 PATENT OFFICE OUTDOOR ADVERTISING SIGNBOARD.

John E. Norman, Miami, Fla., assignor to E. B. Malone, Miami, Fla.

Application July 11, 1922. Serial No. 621,983

.2 Claims. (01. 40-125) This invention relates to signboards intended for use in outdoor advertising.

I-Ieretofore, it has been common to build these signboards as single boards having one display face either parallel to the roadway or at right angles thereto, or at some angle between these two. The display faces are usually secured to substantially vertical posts sunk into the ground. The posts of themselves are not sufficient to 1 withstand wind pressures applied to either the front or back of the said display faces. Ac-

cordingly, each post has its upper end secured at the back of the display face, to the top of an inclined brace having its lower end secured to an anchor or dead man.

The dead men or anchors used for this purpose take the form of a large piece of timber or a large block of cement, or a large auger, or other form of anchor; and the excavation for each of these anchors is often equivalent to live times the excavation required for each vertical post. Not only does this anchor structure require a great deal of expensive excavation and construction or expensive material and labor, but the back of the entire structure is rendered very unsightly by the A framing formed by the posts and braces connected thereto. Also the additional material in the A framing represents labor and material both for construction and replacement.

It is the main object of the present invention to eliminate the costly and unsightly anchor and bracing structure without sacrificing wind resistant strength in the entire signboard con- 35 -struction.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the detailed description thereof proceeds.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of a signboard structure embodying the present invention as arranged at road intersections;

Figure 2 is a similar view, illustrating the structure as arranged between road intersections; and

Figure 3 is a plan View of the structure illus trated in Figures 1 and 2.

The structure embodying this invention comprises three wings 1, 2 and 3 radiating from a center post 4 at any desired angles to each other. Each win is framed with moulding and bound with sheet metal to receive advertising matter on both sides, making possible six advertising panels; and the structure may be arranged, according to location, so as simultaneously to display at least four of these panels, and at road intersections to display all six.

The structure comprises a center post 4 and end posts 5, 6 and 7. These end posts are secured to the center post by any suitable skeleton frame- 60, work adapted to form the foundation for the poster receiving material. Any desired arrangement of moulding and capping may be used on this framework to form an ornamental frame or border for the advertising surfaces; and the usual lattice work may be employed to fill in the space between the bottom rails of the panels and the ground.

The posts 5, 6, 7, 5A, 6A, 7A, 5B, 6B, and 7B extend below the surface of the ground for variable shallow depth ranging from four inches to thirty inches. 'In order to brace the upper part of the structure properly, the upper ends of posts 5, 6 and 7 have the opposite ends of cables 8, 9 and 10 suitably secured thereto. These cables are provided with turnbuckles 11, 12 and 13, respectively, for taking up slack and adjusting the free upper ends of the wings to take them out of wind.

In setting up this advertising structure at the intersection of roadways, as illustrated in Figure 1, it is preferable that one of the wings shall be arranged so as to bisect the angle formed by the two roadways, while the other two wings are symmetrically arranged relative to the line of bisection. In this arrangement passers-by coming in any direction along one of the roadways will see two of the advertising faces of the panels. In other words, all six faces of the panels 1, 2 and 3, as shown in Figure 1, are available for advertising purposes.

Where the structure is to be positioned on roadway but not intersection, it is preferable that one of the wings shall be arranged perpendicular to the general direction of the roadway, as indicated in Figure 2 of the drawings. By this arrangement, two of the panels are visible to passers-by in each direction of movement. In other words, the structure provides for a maximum display of advertising matter for a minimum amount of space occupied; at the same time it gives the advertiser the advantage of never having more than two faces showing to the same view. Furthermore, it gives the advertising display a view which is either head-on or semi-head-on instead of being parallel to the direction of movement of the trafiic.

The structure eliminates the use of unsightly back bracing and anchors. Furthermore, each wing acts as a brace for the other wings, and the fact that less time, material and expense are used in connecting the structure to the ground permits of the advertiser, because of the fact he does not have to tie property up so tight in a lease, to secure a lower lease rate on the land, since it is more easily and cheaply removed than is the case where the old type back bracing and anchor structure is used. .Finally, the new construction is obviously cheaper to maintain, repair and replace. Also it permits greater display space fora given area of land.

It is thought that the invention and numerous of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it is obvious that numerous changes maybe made in in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention or sacrificing any of its attendant advantages; the form herein described being a preferred embodiment for the purpose of illustrating my invention.

What I claim is:

1. An advertising structure comprising a center post fixed to the ground, three advertising panels radiating from said post at equal angles to each other, posts fixed to the outer edges of said panels and having their lower ends fixed to the ground,

and means adjustably secured to the upper ends of said panels near the outer edges thereof for bracing said panels to each other. 7

2 The combination set forth in claim 1, in which said means comprises cables having their opposite ends secured to the upper ends of the panels, and turn-buckles interposed in each of said cables to adjust the tensions thereof.

' JOHN E. NORMAN. 

